A new partnership with the NSW Department of Education aims to encourage cyber safety for high school students.
The Marketing Syndicate (TMS), a full-service marketing agency, has teamed up with Palo Alto Networks and the NSW Department of Education to launch an important cyber safety campaign for teens as part of Cyber Safety Awareness Month. The campaign will address the need to educate young people on how to navigate the online world while staying safe and protected.
The collaboration acknowledges that the digital realm is becoming increasingly accessible for people of all ages, resulting in a gap between the classic safety information being passed down to teens and their actual content consumption.
TMS worked closely with high school students during the process, to develop content which was impactful and resonant with a younger audience.
According to Charlie Sukkar, Chief Information Officer for the NSW Department of Education, the campaign is relevant to schools across the state.
“Our teachers and students can use the new resources to start conversations on issues such as gaming safely online and inappropriate content, and learn how to keep safe and where to get help,” he explains.
“These are powerful tools that will make a difference for our high school students. I’m confident this initiative will resonate with students and raise essential awareness about cyber safety.”
The issue of cybersafety in Australia
In a survey of 13,887 computer users conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2023, it was found that 47 percent of respondents had experienced some form of cybercrime in the last twelve months.
Sadly, the report found that young people were the most likely to fall victim to cybercrimes, fraud and scams. Respondents ages 18-24 years were the largest age group to fall victim to malware attacks, with 31 percent admitting falling for some sort of scam despite coming from the most tech-savvy age range.
This emphasises the need for stronger cyber safety education, beginning when young people are in high school.
Lisa Sim, Cyber Safe Kids Director, Asia Pacific and Japan at Palo Alto Networks, states “this campaign is especially important as it speaks directly to high school students, a group that is increasingly vulnerable to online threats.
“By working closely with TMS and the NSW Department of Education, we’ve been able to craft compelling, relatable content that empowers students to take control of their online safety.”
The campaign takes the form of educational videos which aim to build emotional connections and inform a teenage audience, directly created in collaboration with teens.
“Teenagers want to feel understood and heard,” noted Nicole Bogaard, Client Service & Strategy Director at TMS. “Our approach, involving teens every step of the way, ensured the success of the campaign. It was vital to educate in a way that connected with them personally.”
As well as acting as a useful resource, the campaign directs students to engage with the eSafety Commissioner, Kids Helpline and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), ensuring they are aware of the organisations available to them, should they need further help or guidance.
To read more about the impact of technology on high school students, click here.